


sins of the fathers

by tobus (asoldandtrueasthesky)



Category: The West Wing
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-01
Updated: 2016-02-01
Packaged: 2018-05-17 16:42:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5878066
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asoldandtrueasthesky/pseuds/tobus
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“You could have anyone.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	sins of the fathers

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Paterfamilias](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/172969) by Marguerite. 



It’s his first day at the White House and he should be excited. The others are and don’t even try to hide it, they can’t understand why he’s grumpy on today of all days. They don’t know what he knows. 

They walk into the lobby, showing their brand new IDs and the agents don’t blink an eye until they get to Toby. He’s surrounded by agents in a flash, leaving the rest of them confused.

“He’s worked with us the entire campaign, I think we’d notice if he was an imposter.” Josh says, simultaneously scared by the agents and bold enough to attempt a joke. They ignore him. 

“Your father is Julius Ziegler?” 

“Yes.” Something in Toby’s stomach twists. He’d known it was coming, ever since they’d won, ever since the President-elect had given him the post of Communications Director he’d been waiting for it to all collapse around him. Despite his preparation it still hurts because he wants this, he’s earnt this, how many times does he have to atone for the sins of his father? 

“We need to talk to Mr McGarry.” 

Two agents escort him without another word and he tries to walk like he’d been given a choice in the matter. 

Leo’s absorbed in a pile of paperwork and barely looks up when they walk in. 

“I know I should have declared it before. I just never thought we would actually end up here. Do I have to write a letter of resignation even if I haven’t technically worked here yet?” Toby says, trying to pre-empt every argument. 

Leo blinks. “You’re getting a bit ahead of yourself, Toby.” 

“You don’t want to fire me?” 

“Not particularly.” 

He stares, not understanding. “I’m a security risk.” 

“Josh Lyman is a security risk, have you seen how accident prone he is?” 

“Leo.”

“Yes, Toby, I’ve read the file. You were an infant, you can hardly be considered an accomplice.” 

“If I’m not a security risk why’d I get dragged in here by the FBI?” 

“’Cause they’re paranoid, much like you.” 

“I’m not even your first choice!” Inevitably, all of Toby’s insecurities come bubbling up to the top. “You could have anyone.” You could have another Christian guy from Princeton with no dark history, who doesn’t bite people’s heads off ten times a day and doesn’t get into verbal sparring matches with the President. 

“We want you. The President wants you. If you’re trying to convince me to fire you from the White House, then I have to tell you, that’s a first. Do you want this job or not?” 

“I want it more than anything I’ve wanted in my entire life.” The words tumble out of his mouth before he can substitute it with something less truthful. 

“Good. Go and find your new office.” 

He nods and heads for the door, still not daring to believe his luck.

“Toby?” 

He turns back. 

A smile breaks out across Leo’s face. “We won.” 

-

It takes him a while- nothing could have prepared him for just how damn big the place was- but he finds his office. Or what he thinks is his office except someone’s already commandeered it. 

“I thought this was my office.” 

“It is. Mine’s next door.” 

“Does your office not having adequate furniture? I don’t know if you noticed on the campaign but I’m not really a people person.”

Sam fiddles with a rubber ball for a moment, almost ashamed. “I looked him up. Your father. Sorry.” 

Toby doesn’t seem fazed by the non sequitur. “Sorry for invading my privacy or sorry that my father’s a dick?” 

“Uh, whichever. I saw a photo of him. He doesn’t exactly look like death incarnate.” 

“Yeah, well, if you could tell a murderer just by looking at them half the Justice Department would be looking for a job.” 

“So it’s straightened out with the secret service guys?” 

“Miraculously I am still getting hired, yes.” 

“They wouldn’t fire you over that!” Sam exclaims in righteous anger over something that hadn’t happened. “It’s hardly your fault you have a parent who broke the law!” 

“You’ve got to admit, it looks pretty bad on a background check.” He shrugged. 

“You would have just taken it?” 

He looks at Sam with weary eyes. He’s tired of fighting the world, insisting it could be better when nothing seems to change. “What else would I have done?” 

“We’d all have rallied behind you. CJ, Josh and me. We’d shout at Leo and if that didn’t work, we’d… start a petition or something!” 

He smiles slightly. “Because petitions are known for their large impact on policy.” 

“Then we’d have occupied the White House.” Sam tries to remember how many times he’s seen Toby smile. He can count them on one hand. 

“You’re in the White House.” 

“Exactly. We wouldn’t have had to travel.” 

Toby shakes his head. Sam’s so young and naïve, he has no idea how he’s ended up fifty feet from the Oval Office. 

“I mean it, Toby. We’ve fought this whole campaign together, we’ve argued and celebrated; we’ve been through losses and victories and all the things in between. We’re a team.” 

Toby remembers exactly why Sam’s ended up fifty feet from the Oval Office. He looks back at Sam with some of the fire back in his eyes because now he was in the White House and maybe now the world would listen. 

“Yeah. Now get out of my office.” He says, grabbing the ball Sam had been fiddling with and pretending to throw it as his head. 

Sam scarpers and the ball hits the wall instead. It’s a strangely satisfying sound.


End file.
